2017 Brewers Optimism Thread!

[rcc]

Last night was exciting. Thames is getting hot again and thrilled the fans with that walk off win.

 

Brewers baseball is fun to watch this year.

[SomewhereInTime]

Jimmy Nelson putting together a fine season, a year after it looked like he might not be part of the future, or might have to go to the bullpen.

 

Magic number down to 91!

[stalton]

Jimmy Nelson putting together a fine season, a year after it looked like he might not be part of the future, or might have to go to the bullpen.

 

Magic number down to 91!

 

I had to dig through the pages of yesteryear but we started the official magic number thread in 2011 on August 1st with 56

 

We really aren't that far off from where we started "for real"

[jjfanec]

It is crazy that they are doing this with very little help from braun and Villar much of the season. Braun was solid when healthy but has missed so much time and Villar has been unproductive and hurt. Without those two and even Guerra missing a lot of time this team is up 2.5 at father's day! That is incredible. The Cubs may bounce back but right now the Brewers are simply playing better

[Ennder]

On fivethirtyeight the Brewers playoff chances are up to 32%! Cubs are still at 60% but funny to see that number so low this far into the season.

[sveumrules]

The 2016 Brewers had essentially nine "good" players who contributed a total of 19.5 of our 25 total team WAR per fangraphs count. Of those nine, four (Lucroy, Thornburg, Jeffress & Smith) were traded. The five players (Braun, Villar, Broxton, Davies, Guerra) from that productive 2016 group that were back for this year, through a combination of injury & diminished effectiveness, have only produced 0.8 of our 15.6 team WAR so far.

 

So despite our five top returning players providing next to no collective value & a bullpen that has lost the most games in MLB, the Milwaukee Brewers are somehow in first place after sixty three games.

 

Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety nine bottles of beer...

[NievesNoNO]

The Brewers will still be in first place on the 1st day of summer! The offense is still legit and making things difficult on opposing pitchers despite being without their best bat, Braun. We've gotten a glimpse into the future with Phillips, Hader and Brinson. Knebel is pitching at an elite level and Jimmy Nelson is looking like maybe he's figured things out and could be a legit Ace-light type starter.

 

I'm still super excited to see where things go with this team. They're competitive at the MLB level and have one of the better farm systems. The future is still bright.

[rcc]

I'm liking Hader so far. He hasn't pitched much but yesterday he did well and still hasn't given up a run.

 

Jimmy had a very ace-like pitching performance but the two starters after him have faltered. Hopefully tonight the Crew gets back on the winning track. The Cubs are waking up and are only .5 back of the Brewers for first place.

[Roderick]

I'm liking Hader so far. He hasn't pitched much but yesterday he did well and still hasn't given up a run.

 

Jimmy had a very ace-like pitching performance but the two starters after him have faltered. Hopefully tonight the Crew gets back on the winning track. The Cubs are waking up and are only .5 back of the Brewers for first place.

 

Yeah, you have to think that Counsell will start pitching Hader in closer games and/or later innings. I still think he needs to start with the inning clean, as he walks too many guys to bring him with trouble already on the bases.

 

The good optimistic thing thing is we won't see Davies and Garza for another three games.

[torts]

guys, were still in first place

 

we've been in first place for 36 days

37-28 in 9 inning games!

19-13 on the road!

[tmwiese55]

Braun starting his rehab, hopefully back next week to give a boost to the offense that's still been good, but not great like it was earlier. If he can stay healthy the rest of the year it really helps the chances of hanging in this all season.

[Fear The Chorizo]

This thread having 16 pages and counting speaks to how unexpectedly well this year's Brew Crew are playing! Yes, they have warts (any team with the lowest payroll in all of baseball would, particularly while missing it's highest paid player a good deal of this season), but they continue to play an exciting brand of baseball - and it's great seeing the youngsters start to settle in and produce at the MLB level.

[rcc]

It is exciting to watch this team. The highs, the lows, everything about a group of young players who play hard and appreciate being in the big leagues.

[newrivervalley]

If Brewer exceed 82 wins, I'll be much happy. Add an arm or two for SP, get lucky in BP, and watch out 2018.

[dlk9s]

If we stay in contention, maybe we can trade for C.C. Sabathia on the cheap!

[Boomer5]

The Cards and Pirates are showing no signs of life and the Cubs still look mediocre.

[pacopete4]

If we stay in contention, maybe we can trade for C.C. Sabathia on the cheap!

 

I'd take him. Nostalgia alone. He carried this team on his back to the playoffs and I'll never forget it.

[SomewhereInTime]

Magic number down to 87! Just like that it's a 1.5 game lead again.

[Ennder]

I think we all assume at some point the Cubs will come alive and most likely pass us in the standings. I have been saying this for 2 months but that Rockies rotation is terrible, I'd say bottom 5 in the NL. That team is going to collapse and the wild card is going to be up for grabs. We are 6 games behind them now and all it takes is us playing a little better in the 2nd half and we should catch them and be able to fight for it. The Rockeis ERA in June is 5.13 and it honestly won't surprise me if it is 5+ the rest of the season. The wild card is most definitely still in play as a playoff option.

[JohnBriggs12]

I think we all assume at some point the Cubs will come alive and most likely pass us in the standings. I have been saying this for 2 months but that Rockies rotation is terrible, I'd say bottom 5 in the NL. That team is going to collapse and the wild card is going to be up for grabs. We are 6 games behind them now and all it takes is us playing a little better in the 2nd half and we should catch them and be able to fight for it. The Rockeis ERA in June is 5.13 and it honestly won't surprise me if it is 5+ the rest of the season. The wild card is most definitely still in play as a playoff option.

 

This isn't the same Cub team as 2016 or even 2015. Just look at their starters ERAs: Lester 3.83; Lackey 4.74; Arrieta 4.36; Hendricks 4.09. Montgomery's given them a boost in the short term, but Lackey is 38, Lester is 33, and Arrieta is 31 and Hendricks is on the DL. Could they still pick things up some? Yeah but it's not a given at this point. Other than Davis and Edwards, the pen isn't that imposing. Their outfield mix of Jay, Heyward, and Almora is overall pretty weak with fewer HR combined (9) than Hernan Perez, especially now with Happ needed more in the IF with Zobrist hurt. Russell has a sore shoulder and hasn't hit much either. Baez has just been ok, nothing special and still strikes out a lot. Behind the plate, the league has caught up with Contreras to an extent. Their bench doesn't appear as strong as the Brewers either. Not that they can't get things going but they need a lot to happen that until now hasn't happened.

[Boomer5]

I think we all assume at some point the Cubs will come alive and most likely pass us in the standings. I have been saying this for 2 months but that Rockies rotation is terrible, I'd say bottom 5 in the NL. That team is going to collapse and the wild card is going to be up for grabs. We are 6 games behind them now and all it takes is us playing a little better in the 2nd half and we should catch them and be able to fight for it. The Rockeis ERA in June is 5.13 and it honestly won't surprise me if it is 5+ the rest of the season. The wild card is most definitely still in play as a playoff option.

 

This isn't the same Cub team as 2016 or even 2015. Just look at their starters ERAs: Lester 3.83; Lackey 4.74; Arrieta 4.36; Hendricks 4.09. Montgomery's given them a boost in the short term, but Lackey is 38, Lester is 33, and Arrieta is 31 and Hendricks is on the DL. Could they still pick things up some? Yeah but it's not a given at this point. Other than Davis and Edwards, the pen isn't that imposing. Their outfield mix of Jay, Heyward, and Almora is overall pretty weak with fewer HR combined (9) than Hernan Perez, especially now with Happ needed more in the IF with Zobrist hurt. Russell has a sore shoulder and hasn't hit much either. Baez has just been ok, nothing special and still strikes out a lot. Behind the plate, the league has caught up with Contreras to an extent. Their bench doesn't appear as strong as the Brewers either. Not that they can't get things going but they need a lot to happen that until now hasn't happened.

 

I agree. Looking at the Cubs, that dynasty sure was short lived. For the moment. I am assuming they will trade for a starter or two and probably an OF who can hit.

 

But the Brewers are hanging in there. CC is looking more and more like manager of the year.

[jerichoholicninja]

If we make the playoffs, is this the most improbable playoff team ever?

[jerichoholicninja]

CC is looking more and more like manager of the year.

 

Ya, he probably wins the award because this team was supposed to be bottom 5 in the league but is he really doing anything that has made the team win? I don't see him doing anything different with player usage than any other manager would do.

 

Stearns is clearly the GM of the Year though. Sogard, Thames, Shaw, and Aguilar have turned out to be brilliant moves. Feliz not so much though.

[Baldkin]

If we make the playoffs, is this the most improbable playoff team ever?

 

I mean, the 1969 Mets always come to mind. 2008 Rays (9 of previous 10 years finishing last, once they finished 4th, never won more than 70 games)

 

But yes, fairly improbable.

[KeithStone53151]

The 2007 Rockies jump out at me. That September/October run was incredible.